Supreme Court bans Arvind Kejriwal from signing any files after granting bail in the corruption case. Kejriwal, arrested over five months ago, obtained bail with a bond of Rs 10 lakh. The bail conditions for Kejriwal restrict him from attending office or making any public comments on this case. As the order states, the Supreme Court bans Arvind Kejriwal from visiting the CM office or the Delhi Secretariat.
He is also to be kept away from communication with witnesses or access to case-related files. In light of such restriction, he will not be able to function as the chief minister of Delhi. The bench granting the bail, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, has given strict guidelines. Allowing relief against the ban on Arvind Kejriwal’s signing of official files by the Supreme Court, the court has found plausible reasons that the trial was not going to conclude shortly.
This had been the reason for granting bail despite charges having been framed. His legal troubles stem from a now-junked alcohol sales policy introduced by his party, the Aam Aadmi Party, or AAP, in November 2021. This was intended to reduce the sale of black-market liquor and ensure a fair distribution of liquor licenses. However, the Supreme Court bans Arvind Kejriwal on the grounds that the policy was actually designed to enrich private liquor businesses claim Kejriwal and the AAP deny.
In fact, Kejriwal and his party have been maintaining these are all politically motivated cases against them. While the Supreme Court ban on performing official duty is still imposed on Arvind Kejriwal, two more AAP leaders faced similar legal adversity. His former deputy Manish Sisodia was arrested and later was granted bail. Another AAP leader Sanjay Singh was released on bail earlier this year.
Supreme Court bans Arvind Kejriwal – A poor act or a wise one?
The High-Profile Case: The case has been making headlines internationally and nationally. In banning Arvind Kejriwal, the Supreme Court acted at a very sensitive juncture when opposition parties accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of misusing investigative agencies against political adversaries. The BJP says this is far from the truth and denies any politically motivated actions as it faces mounting criticism.
The arrest of Delhi’s chief minister has also been closely watched by the international community. Countries like the US and Germany have reacted over the move by the Supreme Court to ban Arvind Kejriwal. A US State Department spokesperson has also stated that Washington is “closely” monitoring the case. Despite all these court battles, Kejriwal’s image as an anti-corruption leader remains quite intact.
Before the Supreme Court had him banned from his office duties, he had built his reputation through his anti-corruption activism that led to the creation of the AAP . His promise to challenge the power of the BJP as well as the Congress is one of the factors.
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